China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week, saying the latter was spreading "false narratives," though Australia maintained its action adhered to international law.
The incident, in which Australia's defense minister said a Chinese PLA J-16 jet released flares within 30 meters of an RAAF aircraft, comes amid ties strained by navy and air force interactions that Australia has called dangerous.
Friday's comments came a day after Australia flagged "unsafe and unprofessional" actions by the jet toward the patrol which it said was on routine surveillance in international waters on Tuesday, an account Beijing disputes.
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